1 I am not fond of comparing one duty with another; as it oftens throws a depreciating exception, where it is not intended. And yet it is not eafy in some cases, without a comparison, to get at the truth. Public devotion, closet devotion, and the devotion here examined, are all certainly highly good; and all prescribed by our religion; but the mind is certainly in a fitter frame for devotion, when it breaks out in its own fpontaneous effufions; than when it is excited by the found of a bell. the heart. Another advantage, which attends this mode of prayer, is the great eafinefs of it. We carry the temple along with us. We need no temple, but We have not even the trouble of entering into our closet, and fhutting the door. We may every where-in all companies-amidst any bufinefs-pray in fecret to our Father. XXXIV. The tree is known by its fruit. THIS text is frequently in the mouth of the Solfidian. "As the tree," fays he, " is known by its fruit, fo is a man's faith by his works. If his faith be found, his works will of course be good.". And thus far the doctrine is certainly just, and scriptural. But the Solfidian goes a step farther. He lays the ftrefs upon faith, as a justifying principle; and confiders works in no other light, than as a test of that principle. In this I cannot think him quite fcriptural. That good works are a teft of the purity of a man's faith, is very true: but that they ought to be confidered in a fomewhat higher light, is I think, true also; and this very text may be brought to prove it. The tree according to his own interpretation, ftands for faith-the fruit for works. Now of thefe two, the tree, and its fruit, which is moft excellent? Which is the cause, and which the effect?Which is the mean, and which the end? end? Confidered in these lights, the fruit is certainly of most confequence. We fuppofe works therefore to be the effect, of which faith is the cause. We fuppofe works to be the end, for which faith is only the mean. XXXV. If any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whofo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein; he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man fhall be bleffed in his deed.-James i. 23, 24, 25. THE apoftle St. James compares looking into the perfect law of liberty, or reading the fcriptures, to a man's looking at himself in a glass. Let us examine the apostle's beautiful allufion, and fee what kind of men are pointed out. In the first place, men often look into a glass through pride. They admire their own perfons: they have over-weening opinions of themselves: they think themselves handfomer than any other perfons. They who look into a glass with these views, represent those men, who read the fcriptures with L high notions of their own worth. Inftead of abafing themselves, or humbling themselves for their deficiencies, their attention is laid out only on fuch paffages, as tend to raise them in their own conceit. Such a reader of fcripture was the Pharifee of old. He faw in it enough to thank God, that he was not like other men.-By looking into the fcripture he found that he had no tranfgreffions, as he thought, of any confequence to answer for-that he was ftrict in the performance of the moft punctilious mattersand that, in fact, on comparing himself with others, he found a mighty difference in his own favour. Others again look into a glass through vanity. They wish to trick out their perfons by ornaments-to fet themfelves off to the best advantage-to gain the admiration of all, who fee them. These are often men of learning, who read the fcripture to fhew their skill in criticism; and raise their reputation by curious enquiries. They look into the perfect law of liberty, to fhew what acute lawyers they are in expounding its deeper doctrines; or in drawing from it fome refined fyftem which is probably of no value either to themfelves, or others. They are engaged in fome controverfy |